Mr Joyce said this model could be used to open up to other countries as they complete their vaccine rollouts or get the spread of coronavirus under control. “This could open up a bubble by bubble, market by market, dependent on what the framework looks like. And the national cabinet are going through that at the moment,” he said.

In January, Qantas put most of its international network on sale from July 1 but in February pushed that back to the end of October, after the full vaccination of the population became the likely trigger for reopening borders rather than just “herd immunity”.

Mr Joyce on Wednesday stood by his earlier statement that proof of vaccination would become mandatory for passengers on his airlines, and reiterated his belief that governments including Australia’s would require “vaccine passports” for anyone entering or leaving the country.

He said the 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine ordered by the government last week after advising against the AstraZeneca jab for anyone under 50 due to concerns about rare blood clots could still see the rollout completed by the end of 2021.

“If the vaccinations from Pfizer are delivered on time, you can get, by the end of the calendar year, easily to the population and herd immunity,” he said, predicting that Australia’s rollout would be delayed by three months at worst.

Mr Joyce said that when there was more certainty around the international travel market Qantas would decide whether to proceed with its ambitious “Project Sunrise” - its proposed new non-stop service connecting Sydney and Melbourne with London and New York.

“I think it’s a great strategy for the new environment post-COVID and something that we continue to be excited about,” he said. “But we have to do it in the right environment.”

Qantas shares have fallen 4.4 per cent this week as Australia’s vaccine woes throw the airline’s pandemic recovery into doubt. The stock closed 6¢ lower at $5.21 on Wednesday.